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New York Yankees: Deja vu for Bobby Valentine

Posted by on 1 March 2012, 1:48 pm

Turning boozehounds and bad attitudes into competitive and team oriented baseball players will be no easy task, even for Bobby Valentine.

Happy Valentine's Day...

Happy Valentine's Day...Yankee Universe!!(Photo credit: Јerry)

It is no secret that the newly minted Red Sox manager will have his hands full in Boston. And the sports world will be watching as Valentine once again aims to clean up another mess of a team like he did with that other New York team, the Mets back from 1998-2000.

Back in his Mets days it was for New York bragging rights, at a time when the Yankees were the sports worlds favorite sons.

Now with Boston the odds are not as stacked against Valentine because the Red Sox have the talent to win but do they have the heart is the question.

Valentine does have one familiarity that relates to both his past and future tenure, and that is the New York Yankees.

The last time he was in an MLB uniform as the Mets skipper, he saw the Yankees win the World Series for the 26th time.

And now, in his MLB return, Valentine has signed on to wear a uniform that is about as anti-Yankee, a Red Sox one that still has beer on it from 2011.

So, all the recent comments out of Valentine’s mouth are expected, and understandably have pissed off a lot of Yankee fans for good reason, myself included. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Deja vu for Bobby Valentine’ »

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New York Yankees: Manny Delcarmen Why You Bugging

Posted by on 1 February 2012, 3:38 am

Since my mind has been on the New York Giants and Super Bowl XLVI, I neglected to comment on New York Post Joel Sherman’s tweet

Manny Delcarmen

Image via Wikipedia

from this past Sunday, about the Yankees signing reliever Manny Delcarmen to a minor league deal.

Truthfully, I didn’t realize Delcarmen still pitched because I hadn’t heard his name since he was a Boston Red Sox years ago.

Delcarmen was a solid righty reliever for Red Sox in both the 2007 and 2008 regular seasons.

On Boston’s 2007 Championship run he made 44 appearances, pitched 44 innings; posted a 2.05 ERA, giving up just four homers, 10 earned runs, 17 walks and struck out 41 batters of the 176 he faced.

And in 2008 Delcarmen earned himself a heavier workload appearing in 73 games, and throwing a total of 74.1 innings. He gave up just five homers, and almost doubled his strikeouts with 72 but he also walked 28 batters too.

Delcarmen also pitched in both postseason’s for Boston, and other than the two decent innings he threw joined in the back-to-back ALCS’s, he stunk.

In 2007 and 2008, Delcarmen posted a 24.55 ERA, over 3.2 innings for the Red Sox in both ALCS series collectively; and went on to crap out in the one inning he threw in the 2007 World Series, where he gave up a homer, a walk, an earned run and only struck out one of the eight bats he faced.

The now 30-year-old Delcarmen didn’t make it out of the Mariners and Rangers Triple-A ball clubs in 2011 and was released immediately after the season. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Manny Delcarmen Why You Bugging’ »

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New York Yankees Hot Stove: What Hot Stove?

Posted by on 22 December 2011, 5:26 am

The silence of this off-season is starting to go from calm to eerie, as the New York Yankees have hardly budged.

Cropped version of original Roy Oswalt photo. ...

Free Agent Pitcher Roy Oswalt - Image via Wikipedia

Other than giving ace CC Sabathia a new contract, almost too efficiently, and inking pitcher Freddy Garcia for another go, nothing has changed.

The necessity for another starting pitcher, as well as another lefty for the bullpen has not disappeared, so why have the Yankees not even been a threat in tackling the free agent market?

Seriously, the Yankees low-balling in the Yu Darvish bidding must have been a joke. As honestly, why even bother submitting a number reported to be under $20 million bucks? Just for giggles?

I get that the payroll is already huge, but this is the Yankees and Sabathia’s raise annually is only a few million, so where did the Cliff Lee money go?

By no means do the Yankees need to hand out a Lee-type contract, and not because of what the free agency lacked but because the team doesn’t need to go that big to improve.

No one is losing sleep over not seeing CJ Wilson or Mark Buehrle in pinstripes, but the fact Yankees have not even contacted Roy Oswalt is alarming.

Oswalt is a 34-year old star with a terrible back injury history. So at the start of the off-season, it came as no shock that not one GM budged when the rumor was Oswalt was looking for a three-year deal.

Well, that is not the case anymore as two-days ago ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweeted:

Oswalt wants to show his back is healthy, have a big year and go back on the market and try to get a multiyear contract next winter.

Finally, Oswalt had come to his senses and so I waited with anticipation for some Yankees buzzing to start, but nothing.

Oswalt’s agent has even confirmed to ESPN New York that his client was “interested,” in pitching in the Bronx so why have the Yankees have not pounced on this?

Oswalt has an injury history, but so do Garcia and Bartolo Colon so this makes no sense.

Yes, Oswalt would command around $7 million, but the fact he is willing to sign for one-year to “prove himself,” is enough said. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: What Hot Stove?’ »

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New York Yankees: Phew, Rangers Got Yu

Posted by on 20 December 2011, 6:01 am

Are the New York Yankees are officially cheapskates?

The Ballpark in Arlington home of the Texas Ra...

Yu Darvish's New Home In Arlington, TX.

Not quiet, but when Japan’s Mainichi Daily News publicized that pitcher Yu Darvish had the highest bid for a Japanese player under the posting system, a reported $51.7 million and that the team was the Texas Rangers, I was totally relieved.

The Yankees do not need another Japanese import to implode, or pay millions for a pitcher to be chauffeured to throw in Scranton-Wilkes Barre for five years.

As for now Nolan Ryan and Co have just bought 30-days to negotiate with the latest Japanese import and if Darvish signs a contract the Nippon Ham Fighters will get a cool $51.7 million.

You can bet that the Rangers will have to offer Darvish at least six-years and well-over $60 million bucks for him to stay in Arlington.

Remember that in Japanese culture if Darvish were offered less, or even equal a contract than fellow countryman Daisuke Matsuzaka made with the Boston Red Sox back in 2006, it would be considered a sign of disrespect because Darvish is regarded more talented.

The Red Sox gave Dice-K a six-year, $52 million deal, which had another $8+ million in incentives and a no-trade clause. Also, add in the $51 million posting fee, a personal translator, and a Japanese chef for clubhouse in exchange for one good season in 2008. Not to mention that Red Sox fans can’t stand Dice-K, who will be out till next September recovering from Tommy John surgery. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Phew, Rangers Got Yu’ »

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New York Yankees Hot Stove: Red Sox Been Caught Stealing

Posted by on 6 December 2011, 1:46 am

Wally the Green Monster getting a little loose.

The 2011 Winter Meetings are officially underway down in Dallas, Texas and New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has yet to make any noise.

The Yankees have not been shy about being quiet, and look to stay that way because the team is already pretty good.

Not that the Yankees are devoid of need, but they are nowhere near desperate enough to pursue a starting pitcher that is not of Cliff Lee-type caliber.

The Yankees would be more serious about Texas Rangers pitcher CJ Wilson, if his demands were not outrageous. Wilson reportedly wants something around 6-years at $100-120+ million, which is mind-boggling.

Look the Yankees have no problem with excessive spending but to fork over ace-type money for a middle of the rotation arm would be stupid. Wilson is more likely to get that from the Marlins or Nationals, who both seem to have retained the Yankees off-season shopping habits.

One move that Cashman should make this week is to resign 10-time Gold Glover Andruw Jones. Jones was a perfect fit in 2011 as a sub for Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson, as well as filling in at DH.

Jones is a right-handed hitter who can rake against lefty pitching. As a Yankee, Jones had 152 at-bats vs. lefties; he hit eight doubles, 12 homers, 31 RBIs and drew 22 walks.

When Jones started games the Yankees, as a team went 39-19; and when Jones made a cameo the team finished 52-25.

Jones did play all season with fluid in his knee, but according to Marc Carig at the Star-Ledger it has been “cleaned-up” as Jones had it drained straightaway after the season.

Even though Cashman stated early today to ESPN New York that these meetings are really to discuss “higher end type” stuff, and he did state why:

“I can’t spend a lot on the smaller stuff right now, even though they are important players.” 

Well, the new rumors flying around is that the party boys in Boston are interested stealing Jones. Cashman might reconsider playing the waiting game for too long; or else the Red Sox’s might get their grimy beer paws all over him.

The Red Sox supposedly want to use Jones in a more everyday role in the outfield, which could be more appealing than coming off the bench in the Bronx. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Red Sox Been Caught Stealing’ »

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Red Sox Hire Bobby Valentine

Posted by on 30 November 2011, 9:52 am
Red Sox Nation

Image by acme401 via Flickr

If you had not heard yet, ex-New York Mets skipper, turned ESPN analyst Booby Valentine has been named the new GM of the Boston Red Sox.

Valentine will have his hands full in Beantown, as he will have to crackdown on the Red Sox players who preferred hosting keg parties and eating fired chicken to cheering on their teammates.

Valentine knows that Boston fans are still stewing, and rightly so considering the level of betrayal they felt by their beloved Red Sox.

Luckily for Valentine, ringleader and pitcher John Lackey is already out for the entire 2012 season. Lackey was deemed injured about a week after the September collapse. The Red Sox declared that Lackey needed Tommy John surgery, which approximately has a 12-15 month recovery. Continue reading ‘Red Sox Hire Bobby Valentine’ »

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New York Yankees Hot Stove: Why Not Ryan Madson

Posted by on 17 November 2011, 10:16 pm
Ryan Madson signing autographs before the Marc...

Ryan Madson got hung out to dry. Image via Wikipedia

In case you missed reading the NY Post earlier this week, ex-Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon inked a 4-year, $50 million dollar deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Papelbon didn’t waste any time getting the heck out of Beantown, but who can blame him?

A good bet would be the newly ex-Phillies free agent closer Ryan Madson, as it certainly sent his agent Scott Boras into a tailspin.

Boras had declared to be a day away from finalizing the 31-year old Madson, a four-year, $44 million dollar deal to stay in Philadelphia. The Phillies claim that Boras was told that the team’s president vetoed the deal due to length and money; but in typical Boras-form he went to far and got his client screwed in the process.

Madson has been a Philly for his entire 9-year career, and was arguably the team’s best set-up man before converting successfully to a closer last season. In his new role, Madson posted 32 saves in 34 attempts and pitched 60+ innings in total. He gave-up just 16 earned runs, two homers and struck out 62.

So where would Madson fit with the Yankees?

It is no secret that the Yankees are looking to add another starter this off-season, but the realities of a bleak market might not allow for that to happen. So, why not bolster up the bullpen.

I am well aware that Madson is a righty, but in 2011 lefties bats averaged .198 against him, and 28 of his 62 strikeouts came against them too. This makes Madson lethal no matter if a batter hits from between his legs.

Yes, the Yankees do have Robertson and Soriano to set-up for Mo. Then there is Joba, who at the earliest, will return in June; Soriano spent a third of last season on the DL; and Rivera will be 42-years old and morality could set-in at any moment and the possibility that he retires at the end of the season.

Look, if you learned one thing from this past postseason is the importance of a dominant bullpen. This is no new news but after starting pitching hogged the October spotlight for years, the 2011 postseason just reaffirmed that there are other ways to meet success.

As for Madson, too bad he is a Boras client because he put him in this place as he makes players believe they are worth more and in turn teams back out. ESPN New York‘s David Schoenfield said it best, that Madson a bad risk at $40-plus million. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Why Not Ryan Madson’ »

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